Ski binding

ABSTRACT

A releasable ski binding utilizing a toggle structure wherein one toggle arm constitutes engaging means for the ski boot and the other toggle arm provides resilient resistance for the overcenter action. Same can be utilized for either a toe binding or a heel binding.

United States Patent Smolka et al.

[ 1 Sept. 5, 1972 SKI BINDING Inventors: Thomas G. Smolka, SpeisingerStrasse 244, 1238 Wien-Mauer; Johann Zelinka, Troststrasse 8, 1100 Wien,both of Austria Filed: Dec. 16, 1968 Appl. No.: 783,891

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 14, 1967 Austria ..A 11285/67 us.(:1 ..2s0/11.3s 1m. (:1 ..A63c 9/00 Field of Search ..2s0/11.3s HA [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,380,749 4/1968 Salomon..........280/1 1.35 HA 3,442,525 5/1969 Heckl ..280/11.35 HA 3,445,1245/1969 Heckl ..280/11.35 HA 3,466,057 9/1969 Dobler ..280/l 1.35 HAPrimary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. SongAttorney-Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn ABSTRACT A releasable ski bindingutilizing a toggle structure wherein one toggle arm constitutes engagingmeans for the ski boot and the other toggle arm provides resilientresistance for the over-center action. Same can be utilized for either atoe binding or a heel bindmg.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PA'TENTEDsEP smz 6 sum 1 or z SKI BINDINGThis invention relates to a ski binding (heel tensioning means, frontjaw or the like) comprising a pivotable holding part for engaging thesole of the shoe and one ore more resilient devices acting on saidholding part.

The purpose of the invention is to construct a ski binding which notonly upon the users stepping into same automatically snaps through apredetermined receiving movement but also for the safety release snapsopen through a predetermined release path and 'frees the shoe from theholding position.

To attain this purpose, the invention contemplates that resilient meansare pivotally mounted, or are mounted on a pivoted restraint element,and a shoe holding part is urged by such resilient means either at oneside of a toggle center into the position of use or on the other side ofthe toggle center into the open or stepin position.

According to a further characteristic, the resilient means is pivoted atone portion thereof to the holding part and acts at another portionthereof on a roller which is guided in a track. The track has at itsends stops for the roller and can be adjustably mounted for changing theprestress of the spring. The prestress of the spring can also be changedby adjusting the pivot point of the resilient means with respect to theholding part.

For opening and closing of the binding by the user, the resilient meansis in an effective connection with an operating lever which is arrangedpreferably for limited movement with respect to the resilient means.

In one special embodiment, two springs are provided and arranged onintersecting axes, said springs acting onto rollers which engage inrecesses located on a pivotal jaw. The springs and rollers are arrangedon movable threaded means which are provided with nuts for theadjustment of the tension of the resilient means.

According to a further embodiment, a spring is arranged to bear againsta pivotal part which in turn has two extensions on which rollers aresupported which latter also engage in recesses of a pivotal jaw. Thepivotal part is supported on a slide bar on which the spring is alsosupported.

The subject matter of the invention is shown for illustrative purposesby the several embodiments appearing in the drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a rear tensioning means constructed according tothe invention in three different positions;

FIG. 4 is a device which can be applied to the construction of FIGS. 1to 3 to adjust the spring tension therein.

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate two embodiments of the invention on afront pivotal jaw, each in two positions.

According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the holding part 2 is movably supported at 3onto the housing 1. A clamp 4 and a projection 5 are provided on saidholding part for receiving the heel of the shoe. Furthermore, the clamp2 carries an extension 6 which forms the pivot point 7 for asleeve-shaped part 8. An extension 9 of a roller carrier 10 movablyengages said sleeve-shaped part 8. The roller carrier 10 carries rollers11. A resilient device, here a coil spring 12, is supported on one endon the sleeve-shaped part and on the other end on the roller part andurges the roller 11 against a track l3.

Said track 13 is fixedly arranged in the housing 1 and has a slot in itscenter through which the roller carrier 10 extends, said roller carriersupporting a roller 11 at both sides thereof. Only the front roller isillustrated in the drawings, the rear roller is positioned on the sameaxis. An operating lever 14 is limitedly pivotably supported on theroller carrier 10.

The spring 12 maintains the holding part 2 in the position illustratedin FIG. 1, namely, in the position of use. If one wants to step out ofthe binding, the operating lever 14 is pressed downwardly. The rollers11 slide thereby along the track 13 to the lower stop which resultsapproximately in a position which is illustrated in FIG. 2. The pivotpoint of the rollers 11 is now positioned below the connecting linebetween the pivot point 3 of the holder 2 and the pivot point 7 of thesleeve-shaped part 8. The spring can now expand and moves the holdingpart 2 into the position as illustrated in FIG. 3, thus into the open orstep-in position. Thus, in the position of FIG. 2, the toggle effect ofthe spring arrangement completes the opening operation. Of course, astop must be provided for the position illustrated in FIG. 3, said stoplimiting the upward movement of the holder 2.

Upon stepping into the binding, the toggle effect is also utilized.After a predetermined movement of the holding part 2 downwardly (FIG.3), the rollers 1 1 again move upwardly along the track 13, the springpivots downwardly and the binding snaps closed.

The clamp 2 is pivoted upwardly out of the position illustrated in FIG.1 during the safety'release. After a predetermined amount of suchmovement the rollers 11 will again move along the track downwardly tothe stop which also results in a tilting of the spring and the holdingpart urges the shoe out, practically with an actual throwing effect.

Thus, the function of the invention is that, when a dead-center positionis exceeded, the binding snaps open in one direction or snaps closed inthe other direction. This overcomes the danger of the shoe being clampedin a half-open or half-closed position of the binding.

In order to adjust the prestress of the spring, thus the safety release,the track 13, as this is illustrated in FIG. 4, can be pivotablysupported and moved 7 into the desired position by means of a screw. Byrotating the screw 25, the track 13 pivots about the point 15 toward oraway from the spring 12 and thereby compresses or releases said spring.

A front pivoted jaw 16 is pivotable about the axis 3 in the constructionof FIGS. 5 and 6. Recesses 17 are provided in said pivoted jaw whichrecesses are engaged by rollers 11 which are loaded by the springs 12.Both the rollers and the springs 12 are supported on bolts 18 which aremovably arranged in a pivoted restraint element, or detent, 19. Tochange the prestress of the spring 12, nuts are provided on the bolts18. The exact center position of the pivoted jaws 16 can be adjusted byrotating the nuts.

The pivoted jaw 16 is by a relatively slight rotation moved back intoits center position illustrated in FIG. 5 by means of one of the springs12. Upon a displacement by which the direction of action of a spring 12swings over the connecting line between the axis 3, the pivoted jaw 16and the pivot point 7 of the restraint element 19,

the jaw is opened automatically so that the shoe is released from thebinding. Two resilient rollers 11 are arranged to use this effect inboth pivotal directions of the jaw. As can be noted in FIG. 6, thedirection of action of the spring 12 lies exactly on the connecting linebetween the pivot points 3-7. Depending in which direction a very smallforce is acting or in which direction the jaw has just been moved, apivoting either into the position of use of FIG. 5 or a complete releaseand ejection of the shoe out of the binding takes place.

FIGS. 7 and 8 also illustrate a pivoted jaw 16. Here a pivotal restraintelement 21 has extensions 22 which carry the rollers l I. Said rollersengage the recesses 17 of the pivoted jaw. The restraint element 21 ispivotably supported on a slide bar 23. A coil spring 12 is supported atone end on a slide bar 23 and on the other end on a nut 24 and thusurges the rollers into the recess 17 of the pivoted part 16. Theprestress, thus the force with which the jaw is maintained in its centerposition of FIG. 7, can be changed by rotating the nut. Upondisplacement of the rotating jaw the pivoted restraint element 21 isalso displaced and the slide bar 23 slides against the force of thespring in its guide. At smaller pivotal movement of the jaw 16, thepivoted restraint element 21 returns the jaw into its center position.At a greater pivotal movement of the jaw 16 at which a roller 11 swingsover the direction of action of the spring 12, the pivotal restraintelement 22 pivots the jaw 16 to its open position and thus ejects theshoe from the binding. The center of the one roller 11 lies in thedirection of action of the spring 12 in FIG. 8. Depending in whichdirection the force occurs, the pivoted jaw may be either opened orclosed.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.For example, it would be possible in the construction of FIGS. 1 to 4 inorder to further control the prestress of the spring 12 to make thetrack 13 horizontally or vertically movable even while inclined in anydirection. It is further possible to arrange the pivot point 7 of thespring 12 on the holding part 2 pivotally or movably with respect to theholding part 2. It is also possible to provide other resilient elementsin place of the spring, for example, a rubber buffer, a rubber ball, cupsprings and the like. The illustrated heel tensioning means could alsobe stressed by a further spring which causes a movement into the frontjaw or the movement is caused by the front jaw. It would also bepossible to provide a tension spring, for example, in the embodiment ofFIGS. 7 and 8, which tension spring engages the slide bar 23 and, ifdesired, has its second point of engagement on the axis 3 of the jaw 16.Such a spring obtains the same efl'ect as the spring 12in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A ski binding, comprising:

means defining a housing attachable to a ski;

a holding part means pivotable with respect to said housing means abouta first pivot axis and having a ski boot-engaging portion thereonmovable between boot-holding and boot-releasing positions;

spring means, one of whose ends is mounted for pivotal movement withrespect to said holding part meansa utasecond ivot axismeans de ing atrack attached to said housing means, said spring means being disposedbetween said second pivot axis and said track means; carriage meansmovably guided along said track means and coupled to said spring meansadjacent the other end thereof, so that pivotal movement of the springmeans about said second pivot axis will move said carriage means alongsaid track means from a position on one side of an imaginary lineconnecting said pivot axes through a dead center position colinear withsaid imaginary line to'a position on the other side of said imaginaryline in order alternatively to releasably hold'said holding part meansin said boot-holding and boot-releasing positions. 2. A ski bindingaccording to claim 1, wherein th track means has stops at both of itsends to limit the movement of the carriage means therealong.

3. A ski binding according to claim 1, including means for mounting saidtrack means for movement with respect to said housing means.

4. A ski binding according to claim 1, including means for mounting saidtrack for pivotal movement relative to said housing means.

5. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein the second pivot axis ismovable with the holding part means.

6. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein said carriage meansincludes roller means engaging said track means.

7. A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein said track means extendstransverse to and passes through said imaginary line connecting saidfirst and second pivot axes.

8. A ski binding according to claim 7, wherein said carriage meansincludes a carrier member and a guide part pivotally attached to saidholding part means, said carrier member being telescoped on said guidepart, said spring means comprising a coil spring bearing at one end onsaid guide part and bearing at the other end on said carrier member.

9. A ski binding according to claim 8, wherein said 1 carrier memberincludes a roller rotatably secured thereto and said coil spring urgessaid roller into engagement with said track means.

10. A ski binding according to claim 8, including an operating leverconnected to said carrier member for moving said carrier member withrespect to said track means.

1. A ski binding, comprising: means defining a housing attachable to aski; a holding part means pivotable with respect to said housing meansabout a first pivot axis and having a ski boot-engaging portion thereonmovable between boot-holding and boot-releasing positions; spring means,one of whose ends is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to saidholding part means about a second pivot axis; means defining a trackattached to said housing means, said spring means being disposed betweensaid second pivot axis and said track means; carriage means movablyguided along said track means and coupled to said spring means adjacentthe other end thereof, so that pivotal movement of the spring meansabout said second pivot axis will move said carriage means along saidtrack means from a position on one side of an imaginary line connectingsaid pivot axes through a dead center position colinear with saidimaginary line to a position on the other side of said imaginary line inorder alternatively to releasably hold said holding part means in saidboot-holding and boot-releasing positions.
 2. A ski binding according toclaim 1, wherein the track means has stops at both of its ends to limitthe movement of the carriage means therealong.
 3. A ski bindingaccording to claim 1, including means for mounting said track means formovement with respect to said housing means.
 4. A ski binding accordingto claim 1, including means for mounting said track for pivotal movementrelative to saId housing means.
 5. A ski binding according to claim 1,wherein the second pivot axis is movable with the holding part means. 6.A ski binding according to claim 1, wherein said carriage means includesroller means engaging said track means.
 7. A ski binding according toclaim 1, wherein said track means extends transverse to and passesthrough said imaginary line connecting said first and second pivot axes.8. A ski binding according to claim 7, wherein said carriage meansincludes a carrier member and a guide part pivotally attached to saidholding part means, said carrier member being telescoped on said guidepart, said spring means comprising a coil spring bearing at one end onsaid guide part and bearing at the other end on said carrier member. 9.A ski binding according to claim 8, wherein said carrier member includesa roller rotatably secured thereto and said coil spring urges saidroller into engagement with said track means.
 10. A ski bindingaccording to claim 8, including an operating lever connected to saidcarrier member for moving said carrier member with respect to said trackmeans.